The Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) sprouted from the University of Arkansas’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI) as a tool for the state’s burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem, but has since become a catalyst for connection and economic development.
At the helm is Phil Shellhammer, a man whose career mirrors the very path he now helps others navigate as an adjunct professor and Executive Director of OEI at the University of Arkansas (UofA). With a background as a project manager at Procter & Gamble and years spent in high-level retail at Sam’s Club and Best Buy, Shellhammer understands the "retail chasm"—the daunting gap between a great idea and successful distribution.
The concept for GORP was planted by Shellhammer’s predecessor, Sarah Goforth, who utilized grant funding from the Walton Family Foundation to establish an incubator specifically for outdoor recreation companies. When Shellhammer originally stepped in as the Director of GORP in late 2021, he recognized a demand that far exceeded the original blueprints.
“The first GORP cohort was only four companies,” Shellhammer recalls. “The original grant was written for three companies a semester, so six companies a year. I saw pitches from over 400 companies at every stage of their business, so I went to the University and said, ‘I don’t need money for marketing; I need as much money as possible to support more companies.’” Redirected funds toward direct entrepreneurial support, this strategic pivot allowed the program to scale rapidly, supporting 47 companies across its first seven cohorts.
GORP exists to solve problems for early-stage outdoor recreation brands. Through research and development, Shellhammer and his team identified three critical hurdles to focus on: Capital, Legal, and Prototyping.
One of the harshest realities for outdoor recreation startups is their growth profile. “Outdoor rec companies are not fast growth, and if they're not fast growth, Venture Capital (VC) is just not that interested,” Shellhammer explains. To bridge this, GORP provides $15,000 in non-dilutive seed funding. This means the program takes no equity, allowing founders to retain ownership while they find their footing.
“We don't even tell them what to spend it on. We give direction. We give them support.”
This is where GORP’s connection superpower comes into play. With some early seed funding and mentors to help identify the most advantageous way to invest it, the incubator began funneling its energy into making essential resources more accessible to its cohorts.
GORP’s overwhelming buy-in has led to the "sprouting" of several specialized tools, including the Entrepreneurial Law Project (ELP) and Beta in Bentonville.
“I was on the Natural State Initiative with Brian Sanders when the EDA grant came out.” Shellhammer said. The Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Government had created a grant called “Build to Scale,” which was designed to help states expand initiatives that had seen some success. “We went to the group and said, ‘We think this is the way to scale what we're doing across the state.’ The EDA gave us $1.2 million, the state matched with $1 million, and the U of A put some in-kind dollars in. Suddenly, we had some real resources to take what we were doing to the rest of the state. One of the best things that came out of that was ELP.”
Startups often delay legal work due to high costs, only to face expensive "backtracking" later. Managed by Rachel Sullivan, ELP provides legal support through a network of pro bono lawyers. Every two weeks, founders can access expert advice on everything from patent filings to organizational structures.
For many founders, the biggest obstacle is moving from concept to physical object. Located at The Collaborative, Beta in Bentonville is a product prototyping lab equipped with metal machining, fabrication, and metal 3D printing capabilities. The lab is staffed by engineers and College of Engineering students, giving founders a technical ‘foot in the door’ to build, test, and refine their ideas locally.
Years down the line, GORP is functioning like a well-oiled machine. But when you’re in the business of problem-solving, the first question you ask every day is, “What else can we do?”
“Arkansas is trying to create a hub of outdoor recreation companies,” said Shellhammer. “We felt that if we were going to be part of creating this hub, there were two places we could really help.”
In addition to the GORP incubator, OEI set out to craft a support system for businesses in a more advanced phase, focused on growth. “At this stage, they’ve figured out market fit, and founders are full-time. They can also relocate to take advantage of state incentives.”
Through their relationship with Startup Junkie, GORP/OEI functions as a contractor for a new cycling-focused program called Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator. Supported by a grant from the state, which was matched by the Walton Family Foundation, AGCA’s first cohort included three companies from the state of Arkansas and seven companies from around the world.
“As a recruiting tool, these brands knew they’d need to get into the US market eventually; an accelerator based at the heart of the cycling world is a perfect fit.”
Shellhammer’s tenacity for networking and innovation is a well that never runs dry. Avoiding redundancy, he seeks to fill gaps in entrepreneurial support, saying that, “Except for for-profit companies, no one was really helping Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG).”
With his background in retail, he reached out to Act 2 to create the Ozark Retail Accelerator: A solution for brands ready to graduate to the big kid table. “These are brands saying, ’I think I've made some traction, but I want to sell big retail now,’” Shellhammer explained. “We designed a 12-week program to help Arkansas-based companies in a meaningful way.”
By fostering a community where a founder can get no-strings-attached funding, legal advice, prototyping support, and mentorship for accelerated growth, OEI’s GORP is proof of concept. That concept being that Northwest Arkansas has what it takes to become an outdoor industry powerhouse and entrepreneurial magnet for compounding economic development.
"We want to figure out how to support people in a bigger way," Shellhammer says. "The mechanism of GORP allowed us to create things that do that."
GNARGO Bikes
Founders, Elysia Contreras Springer and Zach Springer
"Our experience with GORP has been unparalleled, providing mentorship across marketing, finance, fundraising, and state-level initiatives, plus meaningful peer collaboration and focused time to grow our business."
Founded in 2022 in Bentonville, Gnargo Bike Co. builds front-load electric cargo bikes that replace everyday car trips with practical, joyful transportation. We’re especially proud of launching the Gnargo Trishaw, expanding cycling access for seniors and passengers of all abilities.
LockStop
Founder, Clayton Woodruff
"GORP and OEI were a game-changer for us, helping us validate faster, refine our go-to-market, and keep the momentum rolling."
Founded in 2022 by Clayton Woodruff in Bentonville, LockStop builds smart locking stations that upgrade existing bike racks into secure, connected parking so riders can roll up, lock up, and get on with their day. LockStop is deployed throughout Rogers, at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and in Detroit, with expansion across Northwest Arkansas and Michigan planned for 2026.
Roasties [Coffee Campfire Starter]
Founder, Collin Whittington
"Participation in GORP gave me a solid foundation of both knowledge and capital to prepare my business for initial launch, and has since accelerated growth and strengthened key Arkansas-based partnerships."
Roasties is an Arkansas-based outdoor brand founded by Collin Whittington, who spent seven years in the coffee industry before launching the company in 2024. After recognizing the massive amount of waste generated during roasting, he began experimenting in his kitchen, transforming coffee waste into an all-natural fire starter. Roasties is now carried in more than 80 retail stores and four state park systems, recently winning a regional outdoor industry pitch competition at Arkansas' Governor's Conference.